By Hal McCoy
UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave, in Arlington, Texas to cover three Ohio State baseball games for Press Pros Magazine.
—SOME POSITIVES: The news out of Goodyear, AZ, an oasis in the Sonoran Desert where the Cincinnati Reds reside for six weeks, continues to be uplifting.
After a day off Tuesday, the Reds on Wednesday took on the Los Angeles Angels, or whatever their name these is days after they were the California Angels and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
The Reds, led by Elly De La Cruz (of course) and Matt McLain, punched out the Angels, 9-4, on Diablo Field in Tempe with a 15-hit deluge.
De La Cruz whacked his third home run and also doubled. McLain matched him and then some with a home run, double and a single.
Manager Tito Francona says McLain is the team’s second baseman, a move to help keep him healthy.
“In fairness to Matt and trying to keep him healthy we’ll keep him at second base,” he said. “And (shortstop) Elly is happy to have him as his double play combination.”
Francona said McLain reminds him of Dustin Pedroia, a second baseman he managed with the Boston Red Sox for seven seasons.
“When I say he has a little Pedroia in him, that’s about as big a compliment as you could ever give somebody,” he said.
Then on Thursday, the Reds played to 3-3 tie. Did you say tie? There’s no tying in baseball.
—SPOT THE TREND: As my grossly underpaid (unpaid) contributor Jeff Singleton put it, “See if you can spot a trend here?”
**In 2005 and 2006, all 30 major league teams had a team bating average over .250.
**In 2010, 20 teams had a team batting average over .250.
**In 2015, 18 teams had a team batting average over .250.
**In 2020, 12 teams had a team batting average of .250.
**In 2024, six teams had a team batting average over .250: Arizona (.263), San Diego (.262), Houston (.261), Philadelphia (.256), Los Angeles Dodgers (.256), Boston (.252).
The Reds? They were 26th at .231. And weren’t most of commissioner Rob Manfraud’s new rules to improve offense?
—PRESSURE COOKER: Is there pressure on Juan Soto after signing a $765 million deal with the New York Mets? Of course there is.
Since the birth of the Mets in 1962, not once has any player on the team won the Most Valuable Player award. So, Juan, for $765 million the least you can do is win the MVP.
—PINCH ME, PLEASE: Speaking of the New York Mets, remember Ed Kranepool, a first baseman/outfielder? While he play in both places, that wasn’t his grasp of history.
He might have been the premiere pinch-hitter of all-time. In 1974 he batted .476 as a pinch-hitter on 17 for 35, still the highest batting average for a pinch-hitter with 30 or more at bats.
Between 1974 and 1978 hit batted .3996 as a pinch-hitter with 90 hits, 16 doubles, six homers, 36 walks and 55 RBI.
Nope, he never finished in the top ten in the MVP voting.
—WALK ON BY: Who was the best MLB leadoff hitter in history? To me it was the man who could strut while sitting down, the man who couldn’t utter a sentence without ‘I’ or ‘Rickey’ in it. He talks faster than a horse auctioneer and runs faster than the auctioned horse.
It was Rickey Henderson and there is a stunning statistic attached to his name. What is the main thing a leadoff hitter wants to do? Get on base, right?
Well, Henderson led off an inning with a walk 797 times in his career. And with his base-steaing acumen, that meant he soon would be on second base and sometimes third base.
—QUOTE: From Rickey Henderson, an all-time record for using the third person in one sentence: “Rickey don’t like it when Rickey can’t find Rickey’s limo.”
—IT WAS TOO EASY: Baseball always provides true stories that are so unbelievable if a script writer put them in a movie the crtics would give them two thumbs down, and for emphasis, two little fingers down.
And yet. . .this one is true about former MLB first baseman Will ‘The Thrill’ Clark.
His first at bat in Class A. Home run.
His first at bat in Class AA. Home run.
His first at bat in Class AAA. Home run.
And yes, his first at bat in the majors with the San Francisco Giants. Home run.
The kicker: The MLB home run was against Nolan Ryan.
Clark also once hit a grand slam off Greg Maddux and said he read Maddux’s lips when he said, “Fastball in,” during a mound chat with his catcher.
And legend has it that is why to this day pitchers hold their gloves over their mouths when interacting with the catcher.
—RARE COMPANIONS: How many catchers/infielders in MLB history hit more than 300 home runs and won more than 10 Gold Gloves?
It’s a list shorter than Abe Lincoln’s Gettysburg address. Just four.
Pudge Rodriguez (311, 13), Nolan Arenado (341, 10), Dayton’s Mike Schmidt (548, 10) and Johnny Bench (389, 10).
—A $75 BARGAIN: During his 29 years as president/general manager of the New York Yankees, George Weiss knew a bargain when he saw one.
For example, he signed Joe DiMaggio for $25,000, Tommy Henrich for $20,000, Charilie ‘King Kong’ Keller for $5,000, Gil McDougald for $1,500, Mickey Mantle for $1,000, Yogi Berra for $500. . .and Phil Rizzuto for $75. That’s right, 75 bucks.
At the time, Rizzuto was 19 and 5-foot-6 and 140 pounds if somebody dumped a bucket of water over his head. He already had been turned away from tryouts with the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants.
Dodgers manager Casey Stengel saw him and said, “Look, kid, this game’s not for you. You’re too small. The only way you’ll ever make a living is by getting a shoe shine box.”
Giants manager Bill Terry told him when he showed up, “Don’t even suit up, kid.”
So Weiss took a gamble for $75 and Rizzuto played shortstop for the Yankees for 13 years and said, “My stats never shouted, they kind of whispered.”
—FIND THE HAT: As the story goes, under the Marge Schott regime with the Reds, a scout bought a hat during spring training to shade his bald head from the penetrating sun.
And he put the hat on his expense account. Schott, known to squeeze a dollar bill until she knocked George Washinggton’s wig lopsided, disallowed the hat expense.
So on his next expense account report, the scout scribbled a note on the bottom that read, “See if you can find the ‘effin hat.”
It is not known how much longer he was employed by the Reds.
—ANOTHER UECKER-ISM: Player/broadcaster/comedian Bob Uecker was asked the highlight of his playing career and he said, “The zenith of my career was the day I got out of a rundown against the New York Mets.”
—ANOTHER BROWN-OUT: As a devout Cleveland Browns fan, I have a special request in my will.
When I die, I want six Cleveland Browns to be my pallbearers so the Browns can let me down one last time.
—PLAYLIST NUMBER 150: As singer Bob Marley once said, “When music hits you, it doesn’t hurt.”
—Philadelphia Freedom (Elton John), I’m Not In Love (10CC), Tonight’s The Night (Rod Stewart), You Sexy Thing (Hot Chocolate), New Kid In Town (Eagles), The Loadout/Stay (Jackson Browne), Sister Gold Hand (America), It’s So Easy (Linda Ronstadt), Let It Be Me (Everly Brothers).
—It’s Now Or Never (Elvis Presley), Rock ’n Roll All Night (Kiss), Evil Woman (Electric Light Orchestra), Walk This Way (Aerosmith), Baby I Love Your Way (Peter Frampton), Slow Ride (Foghat),
—Don’t Give Up On Us (David Soul), You Light Up My Life (Debbie Boone), Here Comes The Sun (George Harrison).